Email groups make it a total breeze to communicate with multiple contacts directly from your inbox. Just create a group once, and you can instantly email everyone in it with a single click.
In this step-by-step guide, I‘ll walk you through exactly how to set up custom Gmail groups using your phone or computer. I‘ve been an tech writer for 5 years, so I‘ll be sure to provide plenty of details, images and pro tips as we go along.
By the end, you‘ll be prepared to:
- Organize your contacts into separate groups for family, friends, workmates or communities
- Email groups directly from new Gmail messages or forward conversations
- Customize settings like privacy permissions and notifications
- Add or remove group members whenever you like
Let‘s get started!
Why Use Email Groups on Gmail?
Before we dig into the how-to, let‘s briefly go over why Gmail groups are so useful:
Save Time Composing Emails
You can contact your whole book club, family or team in one click rather than manually typing every address.
Customize Settings For Each Group
Set notification preferences, contact visibility and more based on each group‘s needs.
Schedule Messages in Advance
Set emails to send at a specific dates and times – perfect for coordinating events!
Simple Sharing of Photos & Files
Attach images, videos, documents and more to share instantly over email.
Organize Discussions by Group
Keep topic-related conversations tidy by taking advantage of Groups.
According to [HubSpot research], over half of employees rely on email groups to collaborate. And [another study] indicates that access to contacting groups directly improves workplace communication by over 28%.
With benefits like those, email groups deserve a spot in both our personal and professional inboxes!
Creating a Gmail Group on Android
The Gmail mobile app for Android allows you to easily create groups as Labels. Just tap a few buttons, and you‘ll have a customized group ready for messaging!
Let‘s look at the process:
Step 1: Open the Gmail App
From your Android home screen, launch the Gmail app. If you don‘t have it installed yet, grab it from the Google Play Store pronto!
Step 2: Select Contacts from the Side Menu
Tap on the ≡ menu button to open the side menu. Choose the Contacts option.
Step 3: Tap "Create Label"
This is where you‘ll actually make your new group! Hit the "Create label" button.
Step 4: Name Your New Group
A popup will appear asking you to name the label. Enter something descriptive like "Family Update" and confirm.
Step 5: Add Group Members
Tap the "Add a contact" button to select members from your existing Contacts to add to the new group.
Step 6: Compose a Group Email
To send a message to your new group, open Gmail and enter your label name in the "To" field of any email!
And that‘s all there is to it! You now have a handy group for mass emailing your contacts on the fly.
Configuring Your Group‘s Settings
Once you‘ve created a group, you can customize options like privacy permissions, notifications, contact sharing and more.
Under the side menu, select your group then tap "Manage label" to see configurations like:
| Setting | Description | Options |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy | Make group secret or public to contacts | On/Off |
| Notifications | Get notified of group member emails | On/Off |
| Contact Sharing | Allow members to see each other‘s details | On/Off |
Adding or Removing Android Group Members
Your group members aren‘t set permanently once created. You can easily make additions or removals.
To add new members over time, revisit your label, tap "Add a contact" and select them from your contacts.
To remove someone, long press their name and confirm you want them taken off the list.
Simple! Tweak as needed.
Can Gmail Groups Have Size Limits?
Nope! Gmail doesn‘t enforce any limits on the number of contacts you can add to a custom group. However, Gmail does max out sending at 500 emails per day from a free account.
So while you can have unlimited members in a group, you can only email 500 per 24 hours before hitting send quotas. Keep that in mind when planning any mass communication!
Creating a Gmail Group on iPhone
Unfortunately, the iPhone Gmail app doesn‘t actually support group label creation. But fear not! There is another way on iPhone using your Contacts app and notes to simulate groups.
Follow along:
Step 1: Add a New Contact
Open the Contacts app and hit the + to make a fresh contact. This will be our makeshift group.
Step 2: Name Your "Group"
In the Company name field, put the name you want, like "Book Club."
Step 3: List Member Emails in Notes
Tap into Notes and carefully add each contact email wrapped in angle brackets.
It should look like this:
<[email protected]>
<[email protected]> Step 4: Copy All Bracketed Emails
Once finished listing emails, highlight them all and hit copy.
Step 5: Paste into Email Field
Go back and paste the copied emails into the "Add Email" field so each has its own line.
Step 6: Compose Group Email
Tap the mail icon to compose a message with all group members included! Send away!
While an extra couple steps are involved, this method allows you to message multiple iPhone contacts simultaneously.
Making a Gmail Group via Web Browser
Prefer managing your contacts from a computer? No worries! Forming contact groups is still simple from gmail.com.
Here is how:
Step 1: Login and Open Contacts
From your inbox, click on the Contacts option in the top right navigation menu.
Step 2: Select Group Members
Check the box beside each existing contact to add to your new group‘s list.
Step 3: Create New Label
Tap "Manage labels" and then "Create new label" to actually make the group.
Step 4: Name Your Group
Give the new label a descriptive name and save it. Selected members are automatically added.
Step 5: Email Your Group
Compose a fresh Gmail message as normal, using your new group name as the recipient.
And sending group emails is that easy!
More Handy Tips for Gmail Groups
Now that you know how to create and manage groups across platforms, here are some power user tips:
Easily forward interesting conversations to your entire group by selecting "Reply all." Get feedback or spark new topics!
Schedule send times for coordinating events, announcements, etc at precise dates and times in the future. Great for gatherings!
Share files, photos, videos and more by attaching them to group emails. Send images from your latest family vacation or PDFs of forms to sign.
Filter incoming group messages with Labels so they skip the inbox and land in a dedicated tab. Never miss group discussions!
Take advantage of additional features like mute threads, unsubscribe from discussions until needed, and more. Tame busy groups!
Email groups unlock awesome potential for communicating en masse. Use them to coordinate far-flung family members, organize your book club picks or simplify work projects.
The options are endless with Gmail groups! Now that you know how to create customized mailing lists on mobile or desktop, put them to use organizing the people that matter.
Reply any time with followup questions!
Jeremy
Tech Writer
